|
 Kiwi Happy to be here!
Simon Pratt is glad he picked Northwich as his temporary home town club. The Kiwi full back is the latest in a growing list of overseas stars to become a Black, a fact he says has helped him settle in at Moss Farm. “The boys have been brilliant,” he said. “Wherever you go in the world the rugby fellas are all the same – they stick together and they’ve been a really welcoming bunch here. “It’s good to have people like Stacey [Hosking] and Jamie [Miratana] around because we can reminisce about the things we miss back home.” The 23-year-old shares a living space with Hosking and another New Zealand import, Nigel Farrow, at the Greenbank Hotel. He arrived from the other side of the planet, Marlborough to be precise, in August when the weather was a lot warmer. “Getting used to the temperature is taking some time to be honest,” he grinned. “I’ve been in snow once and vowed never to go in it again. “I just wanted to play rugby all year round and when I found out about Northwich I was desperate to come. “I’m a country boy back home so the town is plenty big enough for me.”
Hosking has helped with style tips on the pitch as well as survival off it, resulting in Pratt playing a key part in moving Kevin Greaves’ men up the North Two West table. “The style is different here and I’ve struggled to get to grips with it at times,” Pratt admitted.
“I don’t see a lot of the ball because it’s not kicked to you as much but I’m loving the challenge of getting used to a new way of playing.”
He scored a try in Saturday’s success against Rossendale, a victory that takes Northwich to within two points of top spot, and each week brings a better personal performance. Pratt added: “I’ll go back a better rugby player, I’m convinced of that. “As a person I’m a lot more open-minded and loving the experience. “Northwich is a great club – there’s always some old boy around who’ll get a beer in for you!”
|
